Switch to turf might help Golden Iris

Golden Iris has had three starts in the last 18 months, always leading in the stretch on the synthetic main track at Golden Gate Fields before fading to finish second or third.

It’s time for a surface switch.

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Golden Iris, trained by Manuel Badilla for Ron Charles and Samuel Gordon, will have her American debut on turf in an allowance race for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

Golden Iris is part of a field of eight and one of two runners in the lineup trained by Badilla for the Charles-Gordon partnership. They also start Sloane Garden.

Juan Hernandez will ride Golden Iris, a familiar mount for the meeting’s leading rider. Hernandez rode Golden Iris to a nose loss at 2-1 on March 1, and a head loss at 8-5 on March 22. Golden Iris was favored in those races, and is likely to be favored Saturday.

Hernandez must coax patience from the 5-year-old Golden Iris, who showed speed when she raced in England earlier in her career and has been on or near the front early in her three U.S. races. She is winless in six starts on turf, but was beaten a neck in a minor handicap at Windsor Racecourse in England in 2018.

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Saturday’s race also is the first on turf in this country for Sunblessed, trained by Andy Mathis. Sunblessed is winless in six starts on turf, all in 2018 in Ireland.

Sunblessed won a maiden special weight race at a mile on the main track Feb. 27 at Golden Gate. She is a threat from a stalking position.

The nine-race program begins at 12:45 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Earlier on the card, six 2-year-old fillies will have their first start in a maiden special weight race at 4 1/2 furlongs. The maiden race is open, but all six entrants are California-breds.

Miss Ever Ready, who was listed as bought back for $77,000 at the Fasig-Tipton California yearling sale at Santa Anita last September, starts for owner and breeder Tom Bachman and trainer Brendan Galvin. Miss Ever Ready, by More Than Ready, is out of Blessings Count, dam of seven winners.

Miss Ever Ready is drawn to the inside of I’m So Anna, a filly by Fast Anna trained by Steve Sherman. I’m So Anna is the first foal to race out of So So Fast, a winner of 2 of 10 starts.